Amazon RDS vs Google Cloud SQL comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while Google is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.8. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 13.5% mindshare in DS, compared to Google’s 7.8% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Google users who would recommend it.

Amazon RDS

Read 58 Amazon RDS reviews

3,802 Views
3,650 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Google Cloud SQL

Read 23 Google Cloud SQL reviews

2,134 Views
2,070 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Amazon RDS

Google Cloud SQL

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

Amazon RDS and Google Cloud SQL are competitors in the cloud-based database services category. Amazon RDS seems to have the upper hand in deployment agility and availability, while Google Cloud SQL shines in cost-effectiveness and management simplicity.

Features: Amazon RDS is praised for easy database creation, seamless integration with AWS services, and its ability to support multiple database engines like MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and Amazon Aurora. It also offers automated CI/CD tools, serverless options, and high resilience. Google Cloud SQL is appreciated for its automatic backups, high availability, and strong data protection. It ensures seamless integration with GCP services and provides a user-friendly, cost-effective solution for managing various data needs.

Room for Improvement: Amazon RDS could benefit from simplifying configuration complexities, enhancing shell access, and offering expanded support for more database engines. Cost management features also require improvement. Google Cloud SQL should improve integration with external data sources and provide more intuitive data analysis tools. Users have also noted a need for enhanced documentation and support for high-end I/O operations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Amazon RDS is favored for its straightforward deployment in the cloud, though it receives criticism for the responsiveness of its technical support without premium options. Google Cloud SQL is acknowledged for effective support services, yet there is room for improvement in initial response times and documentation clarity. Both platforms offer sufficient support, with premium services recommended for complex issues.

Pricing and ROI: Amazon RDS has mixed reviews on pricing, attributed to high costs that are often justified by operational savings and scalability benefits. Its pay-as-you-go model is beneficial, but unexpected expenses necessitate careful cost monitoring. Google Cloud SQL is competitively priced, offering predictable and lower costs, making it an attractive option. Both services assure ROI, with Amazon RDS's comprehensive management and high availability adding to its value proposition.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon RDS vs. Google Cloud SQL Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon RDS vs. Google Cloud SQL

February 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Amazon RDS

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

2nd

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

9th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Google Cloud SQL

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

6th

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

19th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Database Management Systems (DBMS) (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Amazon RDS is 13.5%, down from 25.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Cloud SQL is 7.8%, down from 16.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Amazon RDS	13.5%
Google Cloud SQL	7.8%
Other	78.7%

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2592669

Director Software Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

Positive experiences with database services, with minor room for feature enhancements observed

I don't really see any disadvantages of Amazon RDS. With Oracle, I think AWS doesn't provide the RAC stability. If you have Oracle installed in your own data centers, you can set up various clusters and we can set up the RACs, but in Amazon RDS, we cannot have the RAC feature of Oracle. They could add that feature. Amazon RDS has limitations regarding RAC. If we talk about installing Oracle in RDS, we cannot have the RAC, but if you deploy Oracle on GCP, then there is probably the RAC feature available. I observed that around two or three years back, but I'm not sure whether they have added the RAC feature in AWS. Amazon RDS is expensive compared to GCP. GCP also has the same features, and although it is quite extensive and feature-rich, I see Amazon RDS as slightly expensive compared to other clouds.

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Victor Danso

Database Engineer at Springer Nature

Migration to cloud eases management but needs better support for high I/O operations

Google Cloud SQL needs to improve its support for high-end I/O operations. On-prem systems with high I/O capabilities perform better, as Google Cloud SQL takes more time to handle the same tasks. There is also difficulty in changing the time zone after the database is set up. Moreover, some features available in MSSQL on-prem are missing on Google Cloud SQL, affecting migration potential.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution is scalable and can be configured with AWS Secrets Manager."

"Relational databases excel in extensive normalization, eliminating data redundancy and efficiently structuring tables which leads to a clear and efficient relationship between tables using primary keys."

"The IT is easy to set up, which is the best."

"The product solved our DevOps and admin problems."

"The most valuable feature of Amazon RDS is its performance."

"Amazon RDS provides data encryption using services like KMS, crucial for securing high-sensitive data and meeting compliance requirements such as HIPAA or PCI DSS."

"The tool is very easy to use and configure."

"It is easy to use, flexible, and powerful."

More Amazon RDS pros

"The solution is easy to use. I am impressed with the tool's features and functionality."

"From a database management perspective, it provides services without the need for me to worry about backups, scaling, or other operational issues."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"The implementation part of the product was easy."

"What I like the most about Google Cloud SQL is that it handles the management, which allows us to concentrate on our applications."

"The product is scalable."

"It is not the cool features that I find valuable, it is the stability of Google Cloud Platform."

"It supports different databases, like Postgres and MySQL."

More Google Cloud SQL pros

Cons

"They should add a feature for manual SQL patching in RDS."

"The solution's connectivity and response logs could be improved."

"The solution is a bit expensive."

"If we do not keep track of our costs, we might face some problems."

"There are some advanced monitoring queries that we cannot execute because Amazon doesn't give admin privileges to the end users."

"The Performance Monitor they have is a little clanky, at least in regards to the UI."

"I feel Amazon RDS should have a lot of functionalities to make monitoring within the database easier."

"They could provide better integration for the solution with Microsoft products."

More Amazon RDS cons

"To create a seamless data integration, the title integration of these databases with the data integration platforms is essential. This is what we would like to have in a future release."

"The only thing that could be better is the pricing."

"The most vulnerable problem with Google SQL is that while you can customize your access control list, it provides you with a public IP address."

"Google Cloud SQL needs to improve its support for high-end I/O operations. On-prem systems with high I/O capabilities perform better, as Google Cloud SQL takes more time to handle the same tasks."

"The product's user interface could be more user-friendly to improve the overall user experience."

"I would like to see better integration with all the different tools on the platform."

"I would appreciate more flexibility with specific extensions applicable to engines like PostgreSQL. This would enhance the capabilities of Google Cloud SQL."

"I am yet to explore a lot of features that are present in this solution. However, it would be good if more documentation is available for this solution. This would help us in preparing for the certification exam and understand it better. Currently, we don't have much documentation. We do the labs for 20 or 25 minutes, but we can't capture and download anything."

More Google Cloud SQL cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is expensive."

"if you don't know how to optimize and use your tool properly, the cost might hurt you."

"The solution is expensive."

"By using a combination of Reserve Instances and On-Demand pricing, you can reduce the cost."

"The platform pricing is on the higher side, but given its capabilities and ease of use, it remains competitive."

"The cost is manageable because you can see the expense associated with each instance and utilize tools for tagging and cost control."

"The price of Amazon RDS is reasonable."

"The substantial initial credit and cost-effectiveness make Amazon an attractive option."

More Amazon RDS pricing and cost advice

"It's really cheap. It wouldn't be more than, I believe it's around 50 euro per month for running a cloud SQL."

"From a financial perspective, Google Cloud SQL is on the cheaper side."

"It is not expensive, especially considering the significant reduction in database management time."

"The solution is affordable."

"The pricing is very much an important factor as to why we use this solution."

"While the platform’s pricing may be higher, it aligns with industry standards, considering the quality of service and features provided."

"You need to pay extra costs for backup and replication."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

University

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Educational Organization

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	22
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	23

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	9

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Amazon RDS?

The product's installation phase is easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon RDS?

The pricing for Amazon RDS is reasonable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Amazon RDS?

Currently, I cannot think of any major improvements. Perhaps more platforms in terms of database engine versions would be beneficial. Right now, Amazon RDS supports MySQL and PostgreSQL, but there ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Google Cloud SQL?

The implementation part of the product was easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud SQL?

We have set up automated patch management for Google Cloud SQL, and it does on a daily basis what needs to be done, so it is pretty good overall for maintaining our database security.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud SQL?

Sometimes the sharing with third parties or configuring that in Google Cloud SQL is not the most intuitive. From a user perspective, if Google Cloud SQL integrated AI directly into the query so tha...

See all answers

Comparisons

MongoDB Atlas vs Amazon RDS

Compared 19% of the time

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Amazon RDS

Compared 13% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Amazon RDS

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Exadata Cloud at Customer vs Amazon RDS

Compared 5% of the time

Yugabyte Cloud vs Amazon RDS

Compared 5% of the time

More Amazon RDS Competitors

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 29% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 14% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 5% of the time

Google Cloud Spanner vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 5% of the time

Oracle Exadata Cloud at Customer vs Google Cloud SQL

Compared 4% of the time

More Google Cloud SQL Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Amazon RDS

February 2026

Download Amazon RDS product report

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud SQL

January 2026

Download Google Cloud SQL product report

Also Known As

RDS

No data available

Overview

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) is a web service that makes it easier to set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud. It provides cost-efficient, resizeable capacity for an industry-standard relational database and manages common database administration tasks.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Google Cloud SQL is a fully-managed database service that makes it easy to set up, maintain, manage, and administer your relational PostgreSQL and MySQL databases in the cloud. Google Cloud SQL offers high performance, scalability, and convenience. Hosted on Google Cloud Platform, Cloud SQL provides a database infrastructure for applications running anywhere.

Google

Sample Customers

Edmodo

BeDataDriven, CodeFutures, Daffodil, GenieConnect, KiSSFLOW, LiveHive, SulAm_rica, Zync

Buyer's Guide

Amazon RDS vs. Google Cloud SQL

February 2026

Free Report: Amazon RDS vs. Google Cloud SQL

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